Device for adjusting piston-rods and piston-heads in cylinders



(No Model.)

L. FINLAY. DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING PISTON RODS AND PISTON HEADS INCYLINDERS. No. 408,381. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD FINLAY, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING PISTON-RODS AND PISTON-HEADS IN CYLINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,381, dated August6, 1889.

Application filed May 7, 1889. Serial No. 309,870. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD FINLAY, residing at Little Rock, in thecounty of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, and a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Adjusting Piston-Rods and Piston-Heads in Cylinders, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe beveled or inclined ring. Fig. 3 is an end view of a dividedconeshaped ring. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the forked gland andfollower-ring. Fig. 5 is a detail, being an elevation of the cross-barat the lower end of the forked gland.

It is frequently necessary to line up or otherwise repair the cross-headand guide-bars of a locomotive or other engine, and it is difiicult toproperly adjust the piston-rod and the piston-head to the center linewhile such work is being done.

The leading object of my invention is to provide mechanical devices bythe use of which the piston-rod and piston-head of a locomotive or otherengine can be adjusted to the center line of the cylinder andstuffingbox and held firmly in such position while the cross-head andguides are being repaired, which I accomplish as illustrated in thedrawings and hereinafter described.

That which I claim as new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents the cylinder of a steam-engine.

B is a piston-rod.

O is a piston-head.

The stuffing-box gland has been removed from the box in Fig. 1, and thedevices which I use for adjusting the piston-rod and pistonhead in lineare shown in this figure in the position which they occupy in actualuse.

a is a cone-shaped ring, which, as shown, is divided into two parts.This ring is on the piston-rod and its inner end enters the stuffing-boxand serves the oflice of holding the piston-rod in the center line.

I) is a forked gland.

c is a follower-ring.

d is a cross-bar at the lower end of the forked gland, through which barthe screw 6 passes. This screw 6 and the screw (2 hold the forked glandin position, and by means of this gland and the follower c theoone-sl1aped ring a can be held in the stuffing-box. This forked glandis used as a substitute for the regular gland of the stuffing-box whenthe bolts of the regular stuffing-box gland are not of suffioient lengthto allow the gland to be placed directly against the cone a. Thefollower 0 is only necessary when the forked gland is used.

f is a ring the under side of which isbeveled or inclined. This ring iscut in two, or a piece is cut out from it after it has been turned, asshown in Fig. 2, which permits the adjustment of the ring to cylinderssomewhat difiering in diameter. This ring is placed in the cylinder ator near its inner end and is designed to receive the end of thepiston-head, which will be held by the ring in the center of thecylinder.

The two principal parts of my devices are the cone-shaped ring a and thebeveled ring f. The cone-shaped ring a serves the offiee of holding thepiston-rod in.the center line of the stuffing-box, and the beveled ringf serves the office of holdingthe piston-head in the center line of thecylinder.

The forked gland b and follower c are necessary parts of my devices whenthe regular stuffing-gland cannot be used to hold the coneshaped ring ain place. The con e-shaped ring a might be divided into three sectionsinstead of two to allow it to adjust itself to the pistonrod and theinterior of the stuffing-box when pressed forward by the gland.

My devices are when used to be removed after the repairs have beencompleted.

In some cases it will not be necessary to use the beveled ring f, butfor nice work it is necessary. These devices can be used while buildingas well as while repairing engines.

In use the cone-shaped divided ring is to be placed upon the piston-rodand forced into the stuffing -boX to center the piston-rod. IVhenthebeveled ring is used, it is first to be inserted in the cylinder, andthe piston-head being forced into this beveled ring it will be broughtto the center of the cylinder. Machinists who are not experts can withthe use of the cone-shaped ring and beveled ring accurately center apiston-rod and piston-head while making ordinary repairs.

The forked gland can be used without removing the regular stuffing-boxfrom the piston-rod and without unkeying the cross-head. As shown, theline of division of the coneshaped ring is inclined.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

1. A cone s'haped ring divided into two or more sections and adapted tobe placed upon a piston-rod in the stuffing-box of a steamcylinder forthe purpose of centering the piston-rod in the stuffing-box,substantially as specified.

2. A cone-shaped ring divided into two or more sections, in combinationwith a divided ring beveled on the inside for the purpose of centeringthe piston-rod and piston-head in the stuffing-box of a steam-cylinder,substantially as specified.

3. A cone-shaped ring divided into two or more sections for the purposeof centering the piston-rod in the stufiing-box of a steam-cylinder, incombination with a piston-rod and stut'fing-box of a steam-cylinder,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. A cone-shaped ring divided into two or more sections for the purposeof centering the piston-rod in the stuffing-box of a steam-cylinder, incombination with a forked gland b and a follower a, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

5. A cone-shaped ring divided into two or more sections for the purposeof centering the piston-rod in the stuffing-box of a steam-cylinder anda divided bevel-ring f, in combination with the piston-rod andpiston-head of a steanvcylinder, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

LEONARD FINLAY.

WVitnesses: 7

JAMES COATES, I HAL MITCHELL.

